Gap Analysis of the Flower Swift Study
This study and analysis has many weaknesses. One of the
objectives is to see what can be done solely on the internet.
However, clearly there are gaps in my knowledge and the
knowledge of the people willing to correspond with me.
- The proposition that the residents of upper New River
are long-time allies of the Cherokee is somewhat
speculative and is based primarily on genealogy and
migratory patterns and the knowledge that many of the men
had been hunters on Cherokee land (e.g. I can to some
degree answer these questions: Who migrated with the
Riddles and Roberts and other Tories? Who married them?,
Which families are thought to have intermarried with the
Cherokee?). Is friendship with the Cherokee really the
cause of the mutiny in Cox and Osborne's companies?
Alternative explanation: why fight in a losing cause where
the enemy is threatening to hang you (the mutiny occurred
about the time of the British victories in South
Carolina...
- The mutineers? Tories or just refusing to fight? Of the
men named as mutineers some appear on later Cox and Osborne
militia rosters - so they do not appear to be dedicated
Tories. The men named as being actual Tories in other
documents do not appear on any militia rosters after 1777
and many not on any roster (possibly because they are not
from the area covered by these companies).
- I believe that the people who were dedicated to the
Tory cause were never on the Cox and Osborne militia rolls
(e.g. James/Cornelius Roberts, Sizemores, Perkins etc.).
However, maybe they lived outside the area covered by these
companies and are on Wilkes (now Ashe and Alleghany) Co.,
NC musters?
- Where are the militia rosters for the Andrew Baker
company and other militia companies in adjoining North
Carolina? Do they exist?
- Some of the mixed race Saponi-Europeans appear on
militia rosters in 1777 but are not seen after 1779. Mixed
race names of this group are Riddle, Collins, Bunch,
Bollins, Goins, Gibson, and maybe Sizemore (according to
Saponi and Riddle genealogy web pages and a detailed note I
read on the New River History Forum and my knowledge of the
settlers of Newman's Ridge, Hancock Co., TN and detailed
studies on Melungeons published on the web by a Historian
with the Federal government's Indian Bureau). Does this
mean that they switched sides? Sizemores were consistent
Tories, but I am not so sure about the Riddles, Collins and
Bunch families. The documents in the Sevier vs. Wm Riddle
law suit in 1779 might exist and throw some light on this?
Wm Riddle's brother John seems to have collected a pension
for his service in the Revolution.
- Reports of trials of men who rebelled (e.g. John and
James Blevins) have filtered to me through the New River
History Forum. Are there more reports in existence that I
have not read?
- Three to five men that appear on the Draper Swift
militia roster appear to be part Croatan/Lumbee Indian and
1 or 2 of the names are in the Quaker part of the list. Is
it known that there was a Croatan community in Surry (now
Stokes?) Co., NC and is it known what side they
participated on in the Revolution? Was Timothy Spencer part
of this community? Are the Quakers known to have made
Croatan converts in the Piedmont (or earlier in SE North
Carolina)?
- There is document, found by Draper, where an order is
given to disarm the Cox, Osborne and Swift companies (?). I
have not found this document and am not sure of its
date.
- An in-depth genealogical study of the Cox, Baker and
Osborne companies would shed more light on the Swift
company. For instance, the Phipps and Long family seem to
have very similar backgrounds to the men in the Swift
company (Quaker and Regulator). Apparently the Phipps
family was one of the families that remained on the
American side in the mutiny (James Cox pension
application). Similarly an in-depth genealogical study of
the people who were consistent Loyalists might shed some
light.
- The identification of William Rankin on the list with
William Rankin the Regulator of Guilford is highly
speculative. It assumes that he kept his property in
Guilford while hiding out in Virginia after Governor Tryon
made him an outlaw following the Battle of Alamance 1771.
Alternatively, he could be hiding out with this group in
1781 because it is known that General Cornwallis used his
farm as the camp for his troops just prior to the Battle of
Guilford. However, the fact that this William Rankin is
marked as a Quaker on the list is puzzling, if it is him,
because he is believed to be Presbyterian. I was unable to
find any person named Rankin anywhere in this time period
in any Quaker records on the Internet - I need to take a
quick peek at Hinshaw. When it comes down to it, the only
real connection between this man and the Quakers at
Chestnut Creek is Alamance 1771 and process of elimination
with men named William Rankin on Worldconnect (he seemed
most likely).
Key books have been published that I have not read (and
should):
- Carroll County 1765-1815 The Settlements by
Alderman
- I have not Mary Kegley's books on colonial southwest
Virginia
- Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800, by Lewis C.
Summers, Kingsport Press, Kingsport, Tn, 1927 (unread)
- Draper's account of the Revolutionary War in the area
(he wrote a book)
- The county and regional histories of Ashe, Alleghany
and Wilkes counties
- The account of the Revolution published in any Carroll
County History
- Any in-depth study of the Revolution in the Randolph,
Alamance, Guilford and Iredell counties - the counties of
origin of the people on the Swift muster.
- I have not acquired the pension applications of Daniel
McCoy, Henry Morgan (I have seen the abstract), William
Erwin, Nathan Blevens (son of James Blevens) or Morgan
Morgan (who probably served elsewhere as he is not on the
Draper list or list 3 - this could help date list 1). Nor
have I seen any paper work surrounding the Bounty Land
Warrant acquired by Charles Morgan in Grayson County in
1790.
- I wonder if any obituaries or records exist of the key
players in Alamance 1771 such as Harmon Cox and William
Rankin.
- A trip to Guilford College to peruse the Quaker records
of Cane Creek, Deep River and Westfield MM for relevant
entries could add to this study.